Monsanto will no longer pursue biotech crop approvals in Europe

11:34 AM MDT | July 19, 2013 | Rebecca Coons

Monsanto announced today that it will no longer pursue regulatory approval to cultivate new biotech seeds in the European Union and will instead focus its European business on conventional seeds and enabling imports of biotech crops into the EU. The company adds that it will invest "several hundred million dollars" in Europe over 10 years to expand conventional seed production and breeding. The announcement comes less than a week after Italy banned cultivation of Monsanto’s GM MON810 seed—one of just two GM crops allowed in Europe. France...